"I see this institution as something where materials can be reused and recyled into even better, more ecologically-sound materials for making art. [...] Objects and materials can be recycled, ideas can be rehashed, and everything recurs."
– Ronald Ventura
Ronald Ventura (1973, born and based in Manila, Philippines) creates intricate paintings, sculptures and multimedia works where symbols across time and cultures converge. Rendered in styles ranging from hyperrealism to graffiti, his works act as rich metaphors for the multifaceted identity of postcolonial Philippines—one shaped by influences from Spain, Japan and the United States, alongside its indigenous culture.
This layering is most prominent in Ventura’s paintings, where a base depiction of the human form is overlaid with a selection of swirling, explosive motifs drawn from American pop culture, religious iconography, Asian folklore, science fiction and more. They demonstrate the visual excess of contemporary consumption, while revealing inner worlds where fantasy and conflict coexist. Described by Ventura as a “second skin,” this physical and metaphorical layer alludes to identity’s evolving nature and its capacity to accumulate, transform or be shed over time.
Ventura obtained his BFA in Painting from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila in 1993. Notable solo exhibitions include Shadow Forest (2017), Metropolitan Museum of Manila; Project (2016), Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei; Big and Small (2015), Ayala Museum, Makati; Bulul, Ronald Ventura and the traditional art of the Philippines (2014), Museo delle Culture, Lugano; Watching the Watchmen (2012), Vargas Museum, Quezon City; Major Highways, Expressways and Principal Arterials (2009), Akili Museum of Art, Jakarta; and Mapping The Corporeal, (2008), NUS Museum, Singapore. The artist has also participated in major international festivals including And_Writers (2010), 1st Nan Jing Biennale; 4th Prague Biennale (2009); and 9th International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibit (1999), Taipei.
Ventura had his residency at STPI Workshop in 2011, leading to the exhibition Recyclables (2012).